Why Don't Formula 1 Cars Refuel?

[@CaptainKrimson]

Refueling would mean no more coasting. Drivers would be able to fully race the entire time.

[@elago98]

Currently shitty tires limit performance more that fuel load

[@andrew-rn9ui]

​@@elago98tyres technology dure does seem to be lacking compared to the improvements in every other area

[@featuring782]

In order to mix the field up and get rid of the boring conga line of cars managing tires, something like refuelling is needed to allow slower cars to use more strategy. It's getting boring

[@kshitijmalkan]

Artificial inflation of overtaking by means of DRS and lifting and coasting is killing the sport. Back in the day, although domination by a single team/driver was just as evident, statergy played an important part and created excitement. The over results were not a given until the last hand was dealt, sometimes in the dying movements of a race, which significantly altered the order. As pitstops were nearly mandatory for fuel, teams and drivers could really push the tyres and statergist came up with wild plans for their drivers, eg Super-Softs with a short fuel run for 5-7 laps, mid race, etc. As a viewer we had reason to believe something could happen right at the end... the Margin for error was greater, but the reward for all was even greater. Now a days, there are really 3 points of the race, I feel most fans will want to watch, The start, the 1st 2-3 laps and the pitstop window. Ofcourse I am generalising, but it's not too far from reality. Just see any of the highlights. The only outliers in highlights are significant shunts or breakdowns. A viewer can generally summarise the final outcome from these points and you may not even need to watch the pitstops to know the outcome. F1 as a sporting spectacle is dying. And bans such as this and the move towards design based on regulatory ideology is to blame. F1 is no longer an engineers wet dream, bar a few who have got the ideology right for the few years... Drivers seem to have a general dislike towards it as well. And most of us fans want screaming v10s with fuel tanks the size of our back pockets back. And I think this can be achieved while keeping it relevant to current socio-economic goals. Eg. Allow teams a fuel allocation for the week/year. Allow freedom of fuels with limits on over all energy consumption. Allow freedom of design as a constructor. Limit the design by how much dirty air they can produce rather than giving them a design philosophy to limit dirty air. Allow freedom of engine architecture. Allow freedom of tyre and tyre manufacturer but limit them on environmental goals, rather than spec of tyre. All we need is 4 open wheels, an open cockpit, and freedom! With a reasonable budget cap.

[@frostedhams]

Thats a good way to completely change the sport for the worse.

[@featuring782]

I think the current regulations are fine, but something needs to be done to bring back more strategy. I remember the days when you had no idea where teams would end up until towards the end. Leaders in different phases traffic and more importance on overtaking due to different fuel loads. However they do it, something needs to change. Easiest is to just let them refuel again. Surely they can come up with a full proof method.

[@kshitijmalkan]

@frostedhams I appreciate that we may have different views on how the series should evolve. I am not knowledgeable enough to produce a new future plan for F1, FIA, and FOM. I am just introducing an idea based on the sport I fell in love with 20 years ago. I can not say I am a huge fan of the effective spec series. I say effective as the diversity is only at the start of the regulations. Eventually, they all converge. And we have seen this a few times now. My thoughts are the range of restrictive areas or boxes where development is not allowed. The current subset of rules seems not too bad... I give them that, but again, rules were originally overhauled to stop the Ferrari domination. While the rules have stopped ferrari, they have failed to stop domination spells. Thus, the last 2 overhauls have only been a partial success. Comparing the periods of domination, during ferrari spell, 2004 being an outlier, races were interesting. I would definitely back another tyre war, allowing refulling, technical freedom, limiting design restriction along a more strictly monitored budget (financial and non-financial).

[@kshitijmalkan]

@featuring782 I loved those races. A very much younger me, at the edge of my sofa, trying to work out how many more laps a driver can pull ahead and what their deltas may be.... yet not knowing how much is going to be left and how drivers will be classified at the end. They were sweet... sweet times. I have tonsay in the past 10 years, year on year, I watch even less F1, but always catch the highlights and not to anyone's surprise, most highlights are the start, pit windows, major incidents and finale. More than often, the start is a good indicator of the over classified results.

[@featuring782]

Maybe the should introduce a battery pack change, and no recharging. This will provide enough of an advantage to warrant an extra stop or two if they get the calibration ratio right.

[@frostedhams]

Just make the cars smaller so that its easier to pass in narrow sections of the track instead of DRS zones

[@greedoshotfirst1]

Those lightning fast pit stops are always entertaining, but I watch F1 for the action on the track, not in the pits. Artificially creating more overtake opportunities and artificially creating excitement in general is a nonsense tactic that has no place here, IMO. I'll watch regardless, because I adore F1, but I would like to see refueling come back.

[@jcataclisma]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@JIKwood]

I think faster pitstops is more fun and entertaining. Especially since refueling kinda dampened the effects of bad stops with the tires. It's a lot more fun to clown on teams that are known for slow pitstops *cough* Ferrari *cough*

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

4:10 "There is evidence that the average number of overtakes during seasons when refueling was legal is much lower. This is because strategies would play a more important role than actual on-track maneuvers making the sport less entertaining to watch." Did an AI write this because both sentences are completely and unarguably false? Overtakes happened more often in the refueling era because teams had different strategies thus creating opportunities to overtake. That doesn't happen today. The second sentence is ridiculous. I've watched F1 since the days of Lauda and Villeneuve. The most exciting era was the refueling era. 4:37 Please tell me when 20-second stops were routine in the refueling era. I'd also like to know how many full races you have watched from 1994 - 2010.

[@alexanderstromer5106]

don't have to necessary refuel by pumping liquid around .. just a thought

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

When was the last time that Indycar had a fueling accident? They have a working system and the cars can't engage drive while the fuel hose is attached.

[@MooncricketsInc]

Same reason they got rid of tire wars and grid girls. F1 lost its balls.